Ame's Chuunin Exam - Arrival
The name of the country spoke for itself, rain. Rain drips and drops, splattering on the faces of those that crossed the borders of the land, soaking them from tip to toe. From the heavy rain emerged mist banks, disturbing the sight from afar, disorienting the sounds for those that listen. But even then, all visitors could witness the large skyscrapers that were told in the rumors about the Rain; the futuristic village completely covered in metallic material, from the in- and outside. And then, once the participants arrived, all they could see was the lake that separated them from entering the village and the earthy, muddy land they stood on. The only warning that was given to the participants was not to enter the lake without following the consequences; death. After all, only those that were invited to watch the game were allowed to enter the Rain. ---- Day I The Rock's Pride Arrives Kinomi put her hood up a long time ago, but her hair was still soaked. Not letting this bother her however, she trudged on through the mud in her special boots. Tightening her strings, she was determined to pass these exams however she could, with the pack she had brought. She resolved in her head, For Iwa, lady Ikioi, and the hope of the village. I must pass, and so must Iris and Arahitogami. Even though most genin might of been detered from the size and look of Ame, Kinomi looked at it happily, even in the pounding rain, as the site of her team becoming stronger, for their dreams. She began to speak to her fellow teammates, "Guys, looks like there's plans that need to be devised, whatever this first part is, I wouldn't doubt it's hard." She whispered, so no other team could hear their little strategy meeting before the start. Iris looked around and noticed all the team. She then glanced back over at her own teammates. "A little strategy you say?" She stated as many thoughts began to race her mind. "Papa, said it would be different from home....and that I should be prepared. But they all look as weak as bubby." Closing her thoughts she awaited the plan. Arahitogami was a boy of a rough background, the sinful royal who was born to a Kamizuru and Aburame Clan, where the Aburame were seen as trash and the Kamizuru seen as unfair, filthy aristocrats Arahitogami was hated by both. Nevertheless, when he managed to teach both clans that they are equally one, during the revolution where the Aburame stood up to the Kamizuru and raged a civil war (which was made up of one battle), Arahitogami was the one who stopped the fight and saved both clans from destruction. From this point, they all went to Iwagakure under one name, the Arahitogami Clan; the clan founder and leader being named Arahitogami at his young age. As such, he had control over his clan’s wealth, something that they had built over the decades and as a treat, he was given a portion of it that was intended to be for “emergencies”. He loved his clan now and they respected him, but at the same time some loathed his power. He glanced around at the following teams, some seemed to be older, bigger, much more experienced than him and his teammates. In truth, they probably had formal training, something he never received and perhaps the best tutors. The chūnin exams, from what he heard, were for the best of the best and only those who proved themselves could pass and those who were of actual worth could survive. That was his plan, to first ensure that he and his teammates survived, but passing was a big goal. However, he was a man of realistic nature. He knew that survival came first and nothing, not even passing this exam, would jeopardize their ability to survive. He turned back to his teammates, "So, we going or what?" "We can go," Kinomi whispered, pulling her pack closer to her back, "But one thing. In order to survive and hopefully, pass, it's imperative we all work together, to bring out each others abilities to the fullest. Stay together as long as we can. Together, or even apart, I think we can win. Do your best, no our best. Just, I think, we should all keep that in our heads, no?" The Harema looked at her fellow teammates. "Let's keep moving, but I just want you to know we're in this together, and we will win. We will not be broken." The Moon's Genin Team Dark. Just the way I like it, she thought. Every step seemed to make a sound, out here, and even among the patters of the rain against her umbrella, the Dark Mistress could hear it, the genin approaching the Rain's fortress. As her genin arrived below her (she stood out of view on a tall building), she thought about how each genin team would get past, whatever the first part was. She prided herself in knowing that her team would stop at nothing to pass, and move on in the exams. Even without her help, she trusted they could succeed. She observed as her team walked on, through the little fog that had been forming, til they came to something that blocked their paths. Staring at the other genin teams that began to trickle into the rain, Ankoku found herself bored and even a little bit tired. She decided to blame it on the continuous rain, but realized now was a time for focus. Surveying the other teams, she found nothing of interest, though she consoled herself with the fact that none of the other genin seemed to be particularly weak. "At least I won't be bored in battle," she thought, "now if we could only get out of this dreadful rain,". "I hate rain..." Minobu Tetsuhara thought as he was slowly trodding alongside his teammates into Amegakure. Over his normal outfit he work a large poncho and carried an even larger umbrella, both to protect the large scroll he carried on his back. The ground was soft, and the whole world was quiet except for the patter of the rain and the steps of the ninja. They were not the only ones upon that rain-soaked path. There were other groups travelling as well. Some took the weather well, some took it badly. One group of ninja who seemed to be from the village hidden in the sand almost seemed like they were made uneasy by the rain. There was even a random group of samurai. Minobu wondered if they were participating in the exam. He really hoped they weren't. Everyone he had ever heard talking about them talked about how uptight and annoying they were. Their code of bushido seemed to turn them into arrogant pricks they had said. "Meh, none of my business if it was true or not." Minobu shrugged, and continued walking towards the drenched city made of iron and steel. "So many people..." Kasato said to himself as he walked eagerly ahead of his teammates, eyeing the other teams with anticipation. He wore his normal clothes, consisting of a black t-shirt with a black hoodie with a crescent moon on the right side, black pants that wrap around his ankles, and his headband around his head. He had begun to regret not bringing an umbrella. He took his swords under his arm to prevent them from slipping from his back. Walking over to Minobu, he took shelter under the large umbrella he carried. The sound of the rain rang in Kasato's ears as he continued to observe the teams. "Let's see how good these guys are." He told both Minobu and Ankoku, walking towards the the futuristic city. "You know, we might get to see that sooner rather than later.." Minobu said quietly to his teammates that were right next to him and his umbrella, "If we can't enter the city, we might end up fighting out here... keep your guard up." Upon saying this Minobu reached his non-umbrella hand into the poncho and half drew one of his kunai as subtly as he could while intensely observing the other teams. "Let's see how good these other teams are," thought Ankoku, though outwardly she said, "I agree, now is not the time for getting all comfy and cozy with the other teams, after all, they're the ones who stand in our way of becoming chunin." She casually focused her chakra, getting ready to start a technique should a melee occur. "Seems like it might get serious before we even set foot in the village!" Kasato yelled excitedly, earning a few looks and comments from nearby teams. Following his comrades' example, he unsheathed one of his swords. He added a little spin of the blade to show off. The Sands of the Dunes Hasami walked forward, head lowered with his form hunched. "I fucking hate rain. Fucking... shitty water. FUCK!" voice loud and harsh among the blank muddy bank they stood at, waiting infront of the lake. Eyebrow twitching in irate bewilderment, looking to the skies, "Why the hell is it so cold and wet here?!" Body wet and glistening from the rain that drizzled down, his red tank top damp all the way through. His fauxhawk barely keeping it's form, and his pants sagging slightly from all the moisture, tightening his belt for the time being. "Can believe this bullshit country." Behind Hasami stood one of his teammates, Himiko. Her cloak draped around her and her face concealed by the cowl that shadowed her facial features. The rain drenched it already but she, herself, was not wet, yet. And neither was her familiar that hugged her neck, soundlessly. A delicate sigh escaped her lips at her superior’s manners, who started to attract the attention of others that began to stand on the muddy bank. “Hasami-san,” she whispered. “The name of the land should have been obvious to you. I warned you to bring something warm that could cover you up.” The annoyance of the rain got too her too, as it should be her natural enemy. But she glanced aside of her, looking at the younger teammate, who she cared for. “Kazu, you alright there?” Walking silently beside the young woman was Kazuhide, a dark haired young man wrapped in a dark shroud of a cloak. Alerted by the sound of Himiko's voice, he pulls out one of his headphones and directs his attention toward the young woman. "Of course, Himiko-san," he confirms calmly before, "No problem at all." While she worried about him far more than necessary, in his opinion, there were plenty of worse things than getting attention from her. Removing his other headphone, he subtly wraps up his miniature speakers up and stows them beneath his cloak. Without the aid of his music, his comrade's voice become readily obvious to the young man. While it was true that the rain was far more than they were used to receiving, and he shared in his teammate's annoyance with the bountiful precipitation, Hasami's antics managed earn a brief smile as Kazuhide walked along the muddy bank. Peering around, he spies a variety of other individuals gathering around the same location. "I suppose events like this are pretty popular," he thinks to himself, curious about what kind of challenges they were going to face. Hasami glowered slightly as Himiko reminded him of what he had said. Looking back to her with narrowed eyes, "I'll be plenty warm once we actually see some action, this bullshit rain ain't gonna stop it looks like." popping his knuckles each by tightening his grip, hissing slightly. "I'm pumped, these exams need to get started already, don't need to keep us waiting here..." as he spoke the last of his irritation, a single rain drop plopped down on the bridge of his nose. Looking around for a moment, Hasami looked to the rest of the Genin, "Hey, who invited you all here anyways?" doing his best to instigate, going off to one of the lesser teams, "You lookin' at me funny?!" for Hasami, it was just a game to offset the rest of the weaker challenges that had brought themselves to the exams. It was the silence of everyone else that truly bothered him. The Rain's Edge Masamune's sword clinked on rock as he brought it down to rest upon as he observed the various genin and their leaders approaching the Rain village at the bank. He was told to meet here in order to take part in the examinations, opposed to someplace in the village. However, the reason why eluded him. He was also told that such a sight, a gathering of shinobi from around the world to become chūnin, would have been an impossible dream thirty years ago. If that was so, how could such words really be appreciated by someone like him, who was only 12 years old? In the swordsman's eyes, this was only an event, like a festival, but in a different tone. Clanging metal instead of beating drums. Screams of pain instead of merry laughter. The gray skies dropping rain onto the denizens below looked like a solemn sky already lamenting for what it knew will come. Like life, the rain does not stop because someone tells it to. Masamune wore a straw kasa to keep the moisture out of his eyes, though droplets formed around the rim of his hat. If his preparedness for the weather was not enough for outsiders to realize his allegiance to the Rain village, his forehead protector was tightly wrapped around the sheath of his sword. Although typically worn on the body, Masamune rarely separates himself from his weapon, making it as good as an extension of himself. "Anyone stand out as interesting?" Masamune asked his teammates loitering nearby. Even as he began speaking, Masamune knew that there was something different in the air. His voice did not sound quite what he expected it to: although his words were clear, his tone sounded slightly distorted and unnatural, even at such short range. Outsiders probably would not notice the different acoustics, because of their unfamiliarity with the region, but this is the home of the Rain ninja. Obviously, a jutsu was enacted within the growing fog, but the extent of its effects remains to be seen. "Magai?" he gave his blue-haired companion a quizzitive look, indicating his uncertainty of the probable genjutsu. Magai followed after his Samurai brother, accompanied by his Uchiha twin. He wore a white jacket and navy blue pants which stood out in a time of shinobi. His sapphire hair glistening in Ame's rain. Dropping down over his eyes, but he could see as clear as day. Around his neck rested his mother's scarf. An expensive family heirloom he wished to keep safe. Magai loved water, so rain did not bother him one bit. And his clothes consisted of unique material which kept from absorbing too much moisture. Magai lacked any idea of why they held instructions to meet outside Amegakure. I mean it would make sense to hold the trial inside where everyone can see. Magai looked to Masamune and smiled. "Masamune-kun!" Magai screamed, waving at the lone samurai. "Masamune-kun, I do not think we can start yet. But are you cold?" He took off his vomit colored bag and zipped it open, revealing different types of medicinal herbs and ointments next to a few bandages. As support, Magai was in charge of healing accessories. Although he lacked any true need. Just in case something happens to me, He looked to Masamune and Shinen. They can survive. Magai reached inside and pulled out a cloak he made which acted also like a blanket. "Put this on, you will catch a cold Masamune-kun." Masamune blinked at Magai's question for a moment, not expecting Magai's response, but he accepted the cloak. "Thanks." Magai smiled with sincere generosity. He knew his team would succeed. They happened to be a unique assembly of shinobi. Each one a childhood friend, and special in a specific field. Masamune-kun and Shinen will survive without me. So I have to survive.. I have to for them and for my clan. Magai's third eye remained open. Although not as strong, it gave Magai a good idea of his surroundings. And using it at his base levels removed chakra consumption. Both his team members had normal chakra flows. And their immediate area lacked any sort of seals or traps that contained chakra. Magai could of course increase his range and get a location of their enemies. But he needed to conserve chakra. I need to wait till it is time to start. "Shinen, I want to set up base here. It is open enough not to inhibit my Mind's Eye without me having to consume chakra. Plus, it is a beautiful view." Shinen stopped and smiled at his twin and then to Masamune. He took the bag off his back and revealed four metal sticks and a large cloth. Which he began working on a custom tent. They were small enough to not take up little space, allowing for more food to be packed in a different bag. Both were held by Shinen. It tired him out, but he had to do it. Masamune served as guard while Magai and Shinen transported their essentials. Magai looked at Amegakure, his hands trembling. Was it fear or anticipation? He has always healed, but never taken a life. He looked into a puddle, looking at a boy with red hair... On the Wings of Honor Soaring high above the teams, a lone falcon peers across the landscape below with the keen vision of a predator. Its light blue wings gently flutter in the thermals, and with a minor shift of its tail feathers, it reorients its trajectory, winding a slow circle around the gathering ninja below. The eyes of the raptor dart intently from team to team, appraising each ninja as it would its prey. Its gaze lingers on each potential meal, taking in key features of their appearance. Armed, unarmed. Armored, unarmored. Young, old. Each passing moment, it gathers more information, cataloging what it sees with eyes that seem to possess an inherently un-hawk-like salience. Sharp, focused eyes of a near-white shade of blue, like the heart of a glacier. It blinks. Kagato's eyes open. Eyes of ice. Eyes that can cut a man down with a merciless resolve draw back, and the cacophony of his own body's senses are restored to his mind. The smell of wet earth. The gusts of wind. The endless rains, pouring down upon him in sheets and layers. Someone near him had asked him a question. He spends a moment to recall what was said, before responding. "There are five ninja teams assembling beyond this hill." At his back, a hill of earth overlooks the valley below, and the edge of the lake. Before him stands the two remaining members of Team Karasu, Meikyou Shisui and Asami Amaya. Just behind them stands their team leader and mentor Fujiwara Mukou. The young samurai lord tsks resolutely. Whether at the rain or at the assembling ninja threat below, is unclear, but her response is the same regardless. "We should leave here soon. It doesn't serve our order's objectives to reveal ourselves to our enemy just yet, nor to be soaked to the bone in this blasted rain. The less they know of your plans and abilities, the better it will be for you in the exams and in Amegakure." Kyoumei nods in agreement to her judgement. "Yes, Master. I believe I have a plan for infiltrating the city, should it be necessary for our task." Fujiwara responds with a smile, and nods for her to continue. In spite of spending the last year among her samurai brothers, her demeanor as a ninja hadn't changed. Her seemingly unenthusiastic monotone voice and lack of expression, barely masked her excitement at the prospect of seeing the legendary city. "The officials operating the exams in Ame have decided to station the teams here until the start of the exam. This will prevent us from executing our appointed operation. If we circle around the lake to the West and make way South, we may encounter merchant caravans on their way to the city. We should assume false personas, and take on the disguise of being simple guards for hire. To mask our chakra levels, I suggest we expend our excess chakra in advance of meeting any caravans." Fujiwara marvels at the girl's cleverness, but interjects, "I think I see a hole in your plan, however, Miss Shisui. Our clothes and equipment clearly mark us as warriors of a higher caliber." Her rich dark brown haired reach halfway down her back, covered with her traditional white miko that she wore, symbolizing her priestess like status. Over this gorgeous hair was a waterproof umbrella, holding it at an angle where she barely was wet by the falling waters. Her teammates sat their, attempting to devise strategies to infiltrate Amegakure while she was listening, typically that was her role. Her background never caused her to make tough decisions, thus she naturally wasn’t good at them. She was more of a “do this” type gal, just doing missions without asking questions. Anything she was told to do by her superiors, she did so without hesitation. However, this may have been a situation for Asami to stand up and say something. “Well, Fujiwara-Sama, I could possibly fabricate a story”, Asami offered up. “After all, my attire doesn’t suggest I’m a warrior. In fact, I look like some virgin girl, to be quite honest. Possibly, I could enter the caravan, seduce two of the members, pick their clothes off of them and provide the group with some attire. I mean, what’s the use of looking like a virgin if you’re not going to use it to your advantage, and from what I can tell, men adore virgin girls”, Asami said, glancing over at Kagato, considering he was the only man in the group. “So, what will we do?” Kagato turns his head to gaze fully at Asami, his eyes clear with disapproval. "That will not be necessary." Asami huffs in response, crossing her arms. "Do you have a better idea?" She asked. "We can buy the clothes for our disguise and enter the city undetected." He turned to each of his teammates. "No bloodshed. No seduction." Fujiwara nods her head approvingly. "But Kyoumei is right, we should lower our chakra reserves to avoid further problems." "If that's what you've all decided, then we'll head south, and start searching." said Fujiwara. She looked expectantly at her team, before gesturing for them take the lead. This was their mission, at best she was here in an advisory role, and while she had her own it didn't mean she wouldn't worry. A samurai, a ninja and a priestess walk into the village... why does that sound like the start of a bad joke? She mused. Several hours later... Amegakure was nothing that they could have imagined. One of the few villages left untouched by the fourth war, it was a spiraling metropolis of imposing towers, and winding alleys. Lined along its streets were merchants of all ilk selling merchandise, brokering, and haggling as they could. Nobles walked among them buying anything and everything that caught their fancy. The atmosphere was full of excitement, and anticipation. It was this sight that greeted Team Karasu as they entered the city. "Look at her!" "She's gorgeous!" A corpulent noble strode up to the group, his expensive attire clearly indicating a station of high birth. His beady eyes leered lecherously across the four, smacking his lips hungrily. "What magnificent birthing hips you have milady. You would produce a fine heir for my family, would you consider becoming my concubine?" His question was met with shock and silence. Asami leaned towards Fujiwara. "Master?" She whispered. "Yes?" "Why is he talking to Kagato?" She asked bewildered. Fujiwara smiled knowingly, covering her mouth with her hand to suppress a snicker. "It appears Kagato makes for a beautiful woman." She eyed him thoughtfully, taking in his dress. It was a silk kimono of deep lavender that hung around his frame. It appeared that the merchant they purchased their disguises from only had woman's clothing. Unfortunately the padding they added only seemed to accentuate certain womanly features. "But Asami said that men adore virgin girls." Kyoumei said, head tilted to the side questioningly. Fujiwara couldn't hold it anymore, she laughed. "So she did!" The team took a moment to glance at Kagato who was busy trying to burrow into his dress while under the scrutiny of the chattering nobles. It seemed he had attracted a crowd. At count he currently had no less than nineteen marriage proposals. After watching him squirm for another minute, Asami finally broke the silence. "I suppose I should go and rescue him then." She said moving to intervene. Fujiwara's booming laughter echoed behind her. Relentless Rainfall Standing confidently and upright with his blue umbrella was a young man. The young man had short black hair, stood with a relatively tall height, and wore a somber expression across his face. Wearing a simple white and green sweater over a pair of white pants and simple shoes, the young man looked strikingly...ordinary among the crowd of individuals he could glance over at the hill he was about to climb. Sighing, the man remembered what his master had told him: "Now now Aojiro, remember, you ''have to win these exams. Don't want you dyin' on me now~''" Aojiro proceeded to say out loud to his teammates, "He says that to me...but he makes the exam so goddamn difficult, and doesn't even bribe me with a reward...ah well." And as Aojiro began to move forward with his teammates, a blue-haired girl who wore a white bone mask had then cheerfully said, "Oi, Ao-kun, what are ya' complaining about? That's what happens when you're the Amekage's little bro!" Aojiro sighed and responded with: "Yueshi, shut up. Keep moving." Yueshi chuckled, and began to prance across the fields that the team were going across. Standing with these other two was a simple man. Black hair that reached his shoulder, with bangs that covered half his face. His eye, they were that of a corpse. Red, menacing, and above all, they were dead. Soulless, much like their owner. The rain poured on Tenken Hakutei as he talked. He did not care as he walked ahead. "Always raining. Never a moment without the heavens weeping for someone out there." Tenken said aloud to himself. "Ah...the two of you, wait for a moment." Aojiro noticed, as everyone that he thought were going to meet up here had apparently dispersed across a number of direction. "Ah, sheesh. We're late. What a fun way to start off the day, no?" He commented sarcastically, before closing his eyes for a brief moment. "Chakra signatures are dispersed everywhere...and this god-forsaken rain makes it pretty difficult to pin-point any actual signatures." Yueshi laughed and patted Aojiro on the back. "Come on Ao, calm down. Better late than never, eh?" She then soon noticed in the distance, beyond the rain, that there were hazy figures standing around the lake. "Weren't we warned to not go into the lake? Hmmm...either people are planning to break the rules, or someone is setting a trap. Either way...how about we approach that way? Finding some hint to where we're supposed to be is always a good way to start!" Yueshi, once again, spoke, this time bringing her enthusiasm with some sense of logic. "No doubt. Well, let's go." Aojiro moaned slightly, before he gestured to Tenken: "This way, Tenken." as he began to walk off with Yueshi pacing behind him. Tenken set after the two, ready for whatever lay in wait for them. Day II The Early Bird 00:00 AM, Undercity Docks, Amegakure The thunderstorm rages on. Fierce gales buffet the darkness of Amegakure, and a ceaseless torrent of heavy rain bears down upon anyone foolish enough to brave the outside. A cascade of lightning flashes overhead, a show of light and fury that trivializes any fireworks display. Nature's vengeance against humanity manifested for all to see. Her condemnation for their sin, to build such an unnatural city, a testament to human might in defiance of her will. For foreigners, the very idea of weathering this monsoon is patently absurd, a nigh suicidal venture. But for the people of the city of rain, this is home. The folk of Amegakure are like their city; they are a contradiction. In the lifeless iron and steel and concrete, they find their livelihoods. Even as the light of the sun faded behind darkened clouds, stalls opened and lamps were lit. The light of Amegakure burns with compassion and determination. A gentle, persistent warmth against the enclosure of night. Kyoumei cannot see these things. She has never been able to see; she lives in a world of darkness. But she can feel the storm. The throbbing and heaving of the thunder, the patter of rain against concrete, the flowing streams across the rooftop above. Below them, in the dining hall of their inn, she can make out the muffled speech of diners and tenants enjoying a meal in the company of friends. She sighs longingly at the scent of the meals wafting through the floorboards. They had been in a hurry to find shelter after entering Amegakure; none of them had eaten much except simple ninja rations. Filling, but hardly satisfying. Her ears perceive the other members of their team. Kagato is carefully and meticulously cleaning his blade and tools. The ordinarily upbeat Asami is serious as she carefully selects arrows and loads them into a quiver. Even their master seems on edge and alert. The city is foreign- it is filled with unknowns. Dangers unseen surround them. In this place, there is none they can rely on for aid but eachother. To rely on eachothers' strengths, to stand by eachother in their weakness. But will it be enough? Kyoumei secretly smiles. Her time in Oda Genji taught her to disregard such doubts. Time and again, the samurai of her order have proven themselves. Brothers and sisters, bound by a higher calling, driven by their devotion to their cause. A unshakable will, stronger and more resilient than the steel of a sword. She finishes her preparation for the mission, replacing her satchel on her back and sheathing her own blade, Onsa Ken. The others likewise stand arrayed before their cross-legged master, ready for orders. Fujiwara finally opens her eyes, her meditation complete. They burn with resolve as she stands to address her team. She slowly stands, one hand idly laying against the handle of her katana. Her eyes linger on the faces of each of her students, and she her smile radiates a profound sense of pride and respect. "We stand, surrounded by a host of enemies. Criminals, liars, thieves, the protectors of the city, the rains, and even time itself stand arrayed against our goal. Dangerous weapons have fallen into the hands of thugs- weapons that can reportedly change the balance of power in the ninja world. Weapons that make any civilian a lethal threat to even jounin... we must not allow these weapons to leave Amegakure. We must learn about where they come from, who is producing them... and most important of all, how they work. Our mission objectives are to: Ascertain the identity of the gang wielding these weapons. Observe the gang's behavior and activities. Interrogate members of the gang in order to identify the leadership of the gang and the location of its base of operations. Break into the headquarters of the gang, incapacitate and capture its leadership, and secure a functioning prototype of the weapons. Destroy any other samples or plans of this technology as you discover them. You also have a standing order: Do not make your presence and mission known to anyone, including the ninja of Amegakure." Fujiwara's expression softens somewhat as she finishes reviewing the written orders. "On a more personal note, Team Karasu. You were brought together because each one of you is a skilled and competent member of the organization, and, you each show great potential and promise. Remember that your lives are not your own to save- or to sacrifice. Your ties to Oda Genji are honor-bound. You have sworn an oath to uphold the will of the order, and to obey my commands." Fujiwara's eyes slant and her lips become drawn. In a serious, almost threatening voice, she continues, "I order you to survive. I order you to watch out for eachother. Protect one another, regardless of what happens. Your value to Oda Genji far outstrips the objectives of your mission. No matter what the stakes are, never forget that you are brothers and sisters of the Way first, and agents second." Fujiwara kneels back down, her speech complete. Her words of encouragement, but also stern and deliberate authority, have created a burning confidence in the hearts of her students. The Rock's Pride Arrives The crumbs fell onto the ground, water ran down his face, missing his eyes but barely. He looked down at the ground, taking another bite out of his very own granola bar, the last bit of food he had brought. He was always prepared, but not for the rain. When he thought “Land of the Rain”, he didn’t think rain. He just assumed that it was a name. The Land of Fire wasn’t made of fire. That’d be unrealistic, but he could only blame himself. His clothes were dripping wet, he was literally sitting in a pool of the water that dripped of his clothes. This was the condition he was once exposed to, however uniting the clans and going back to Iwgakure everything had changed. They welcome their clan with warm arms, offered up money. The people saw them as saviors, united, to protect their borders. As such, money was rolling in, but he didn’t need money as now, he required more food. They were running low, this was his last snack and Kinomi couldn’t keep her stash going much longer. Iris was already becoming weaker by the day…Arahitogami had to come up with a plan. “Kinomi, we can’t enter the city, but we can buy stuff that hasn’t reached the city yet”, Arahitogami took the last bite from his granola bar and stuffed the wrapper in his pocket. I suppose, we go find a caravan entering the city, merchants of some sort. We can buy stuff there, equipment maybe, but every merchant has food. I’ve had my bugs scout the area, they have a caravan entering the area down by the lake relatively soon, but we’re going have to hurry. Iris, you stay here and secure our goods, Kinomi and I will go and bring back the food. Clear?”, he asked before taking off. “Kinomi let’s go!” Kinomi wondered what they were going to do. She took off after her teammate, hoping to find a merchant entering Ame. She hoped it would happen fast enough, as they didn't have time to waste. But even though they blindly took off, they seemed to be getting somewhere. Iris looked around as her teammates took off. "Hmph! Leaving me here to die with these weirdos!" Amegakure made Iris never feel good. She always hated being at both Ame and Kiri. "I hope they get back here fast!" She shout, pouting in distraught. The Wandering Merchant He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and then opening them in a continuous motion. He wasn’t hesitant, he threw the kunai. A split second later, the pool of water under their feet became a crimson color. Matching that of blood, because that is what it was. Blood, caused from the Kunai he threw. On the ground, right in these pool of water lay a girl, looking at the smitten person with a look that would suggest she was happy that the guy was dead. “Hehe, that’s what he gets! No one messes with Akiki!” she cheered, looking over at the man who threw the Kunai. His hair was blonde, eyes were green and the normal cheerful expression that resided on his visage was gone, replaced by a saddened look. He regretted nothing, but he did wish that the shinobi would have left. Now wasn’t the time to sit and sulk. More shinobi were coming and Misaki was nowhere to be found. Rain poured down onto his head, flattening his already flattened blonde hair. He looked to the left and then to the right, then back at the girl. “Akiki, let’s move!”, the older man declared, jumping onto the nearest tree branch that was above him. “I want you to stay close to me. We need to find your brother”, he claimed, taking off in the opposite direction. He glanced to the right; two shinobi were there. Then he glanced to the left; three shinobi on that side. “Dammit”, he muttered. “Shit, there he goes!”, one of the shinobi yelled, seemingly alarming the others. They leaped towards Sannoto, however one went for the girl. She was his priority. Leaping off of the branch, he jumped backwards, pulling a kunai from his side. He did a backflip, placing him above the shinobi’s neck who lept towards Akiki. He threw the kunai into his neck, sending the shinobi plummeting towards the earth. He’d survive, but he would be unconscious for a while. “Akiki, be more careful!”, the blonde shinobi ordered. “I am!”, she responded immediately, adopting a bit more a serious tone. “You just took the guy down before I could respond! How about you take care of the guy coming towards us”, she stated. Forming another kunai from the air itself, this one was imbued with an explosive tag on the metal. The shinobi were charging in from the front, together in a group. The kunai could split them up, cause some chaos, and buy some time. He launched it, but the enemy was equal in precision. They threw the kunai, hitting the kunai dead on and causing it to plummet towards the earth, exploding below them. Suddenly, a wave of water fell towards the bandits, forcing them towards the ground, hard. A boy fell onto the branch, holding on with hands and then leaping towards Sannoto and Akiki. “Come on! We have to go!”, he yelled, passing the duo. Sannoto grabbed Akiki, picking her up and hauling over his shoulder. Concentrating his physical energy into his feet, building it up, he leaped from the branch, launching himself five trees ahead with a single leap. They were going to catch up to Misaki. Preparing himself, he built up a second lead with an equal proportion of strength, launching himself the same distance. He grabbed Misaki midair, hauling him on his other shoulder. “Where are we going to go?!”, Misaki yelled, his voice being drowned out by the extreme winds that passed by their faces, caused by the speed of their travel. Sannoto looked down, then looked ahead. “We’re going to Amegakure, they can’t follow us there…” 'The Spiritual Students' The clock struck twelve, and her students had spent their first day walking. Magai kept his chakra consumption low, just in case of an attack or ambush. To infiltrate Amegakure in such a state would prove rather strenuous, but Magai believed in his squad. As well as his teacher. They were groomed to levels greater than a Shinobi. Taught lessons that went beyond the physical realm. Yeah, infiltrating a village could not, and should not, stand as a true labor. "So Masamune-kun, how do you suppose we do it?" Magai asked. Their first day involved coming up with a system. A strategy suggested by Kijo herself during their many rigorous training sessions. Anything could happen, and anyone can end up missing. The worst possible outcome involved letting ones enemies know they are in a horrible situation. To feign ignorance was a step in reversing a bad predicament. With a system completed, all that remained was execution. "I mean, it's a village surrounded by water. How will we infiltrate that?" Magai asked. Shinen remained not too far behind. His hands dug deep within his pockets. "The fog will work to our advantage and your detection skills will make it easy to determine where traps and sentries are located," Masamune said, nodding towards a lake in the distance. "We're swimming," he explained. Even though it was a simple idea, Masamune expected that there would be complications on the way. Although they stood a good chance of making it through once they were underwater, it was a matter of submerging without creating suspicion. For that, he would have to rely on Magai's detection skills. Magai took a second of thought and gleamed with joy. "Brilliant idea Masamune-Kun!" He looked back to Shinen who shook his head. That's right...In water Shinen won't be able to use his fire release. But no worries. With my sensory skills, I could sense anyone who tries to ambushes us. Magai walked to the lake's shore and picked up three reeds. "We can use these to filter air." He looked around. "And I cannot sense anyone approaching, so we are in the clear." Magai started towards the lake, his body going further. He gently placed his reed into his mouth. "Come on lets get going. We need to use the dark for our advantage." His words coming out mumbled from his closed mouth. Soon he dived head first into Amegakure's lake, followed by Shinen. Simultaneously, Magai activated his third eye, increasing its overall strength. As is, he felt no sort of trap or pursuers. Category:Role-Play Category:Ame's Evolution Category:Ame's Chuunin Exam